Sleep to Remember
by TaintedxSnow
Summary: What happens when the "Dream Prince" you've always...well, dreamed about; ends up appearing in your waking world? Only neither of you know who he is. Is it fate, or coincidence? Will this dream guy give Mary Margaret the happily ever after she desires, or end up being a waking nightmare? This might get a more "M" rated later on...you never know what'll happen in peoples dreams
1. A Dream is a wish your heart makes

She stood alone at a large window overlooking a dark and moonlit forest, in a strange yet familiar room.  
Her snow-like skin and coal black hair caught the diaphanous blue light giving it a faint glow, as the moon waned across the window sill behind smoke like clouds, and violet shadows crept and stirred across the frozen floorboards like serene spectral figures.  
The walls were covered in creme and midnight blue fleur du lis paper, and dark portraits hung from rusted nails leaving faint ruddy stains like old blood. They were such severe faces... yet somehow all too familiar. She turned from them, and her eyes fell onto a beautiful grande piano forte. Its luminous insculpted oak-wood frame was painted with intricate floral patterns, while angelic golden cherubs and gold feather accents lined the frame. She felt drawn to it, the keys sang to her, begging to be touched and played by her slender fingers.  
She stepped towards it as though in a trance, and as she sat, as if by magic or some distant memory, her fingers began to play a slow soft melody. She remember it from somewhere, this song; _was it a lullaby...?_

She hummed softly as she struck the keys, weaving the notes into the silent air around her until tears came to her eyes, yet she could not stop playing. She remembered now, remembered playing it much as a child; though never such as this.  
It was her mother's lullaby.

As the song continued on, the shadows of memories crept closer; caressing at her bare skin, and the piano suddenly burst into crimson flame, destroying the perfect remains of a pure childhood.

The fire kept the shadows at bay; pushing them into the untouched corners, and the song took a sudden twist in tune; passionate and yearning for love, no longer a lullaby but a plea for acceptance and human comfort. As she played her haunting melody she heard voices call, soft and shrill, inside the chaismic confines of her inner mind: the voices of her father and mother, her conscience, and her deep seeded longings.  
The wind lingered down her back like icy hands, seductive and alluring; beckoning her from the flames that burned so brightly, from the fiery piano forte.  
As she watched the piano burn; pressing ivory in firelight, the music lit a blaze inside her, and her passions all ran wild. The flames licking her bare flesh like the warm tongue of a lover, her fingers yearning to press the ivory keys evermore, to never cease the pleasures which the heat and music stirred within her breast.

The vision shifted to a different room, and she found herself sitting at a vanity in a loose long white gown, pulling the final pins from her hair and allowing it to fall down her back and shoulders in long ebony curls.  
Rising from her chair she turned to face a man behind her, the fabric of her dress falling to her feet.  
She smiled blushingly as she approached him, feeling a great happiness in her heart as he lifted her into his arms and kissed her deeply.  
He kissed her several times as he carried her and laid her down upon a large canopied bed, lavishing her with them along her jaw and neckline, while undoing the silk ribbon sashes of her undergarments.  
She had soon taken the place of the piano forte; becoming the instrument to be played and lit afire, by most skillful hands; laying bare and exposed as his fingers ran gentle caresses across her skin, playing breathy, sinful notes of extacy and desire from her ready lips; causing her to shiver in the delicious pleasure of his touch.  
She gazed daringly up into his loving, desirous, eyes with love and desire of her own, never remembering having felt so complete in bliss before. He placed a gentle kiss upon her pale throat murmuring '_I love you_' as he grazed her skin, and pressed his lips to hear ear; whispering softly:  
"_I will always find you..._"  
Before he, the room, and the piano all vanished into inky blackness; a sinister woman's laughter filling the sudden dark silence with a looming sense of foreboding.

Mary Margaret awoke from her fevered dream, with heavy breath and skin dewed in perspiration.  
Her eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting of her bedroom, and she looked about the place absentmindedly while the remnants of that nights dreams slowly vanished into her subconscious.  
She had dreamt of him again, that much she could discern, and nothing more. But, that was all that she needed.  
The faded memory of those eyes' gaze upon her, the feeling of being loved, was all that she required to remember in order to be satisfied.  
Though he was gone from her living existence, he still lived on in her dreams... and perhaps if she were to wish and dream enough, her dream Prince would keep his promise made in reverie, and find his way back to her.

"I mustn't be silly."  
She tsked, and lamented her wishful thinking, but still smiled at the prospect of love she had felt.  
".._.Dream prince_..." she blushed and laughed softly to herself, hugging the covers close.  
"No, things like that only happen in Fairy Tales. It must be Henry's stories getting in my head."  
Sighing wistfully, she rose from her bed to greet the morning and ready herself for class. They were taking a trip to the hospital today to put up decorations and she couldn't be late.


	2. I'm Wishing

_Mary Margaret awoke from her fevered dream, with heavy breath and skin dewed in perspiration._

_Her eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting of her bedroom, and she looked about the place absentmindedly while the remnants of that nights dreams slowly vanished into her subconscious.  
She had dreamt of him again, that much she could discern, and nothing more. But, that was all that she needed. The faded memory of those eyes' gaze upon her, the feeling of being loved, was all that she required to remember in order to be satisfied._

_Though he was gone from her living existence, he still lived on in her dreams... and perhaps if she were to wish and dream enough, her dream Prince would keep his promise made in reverie, and find his way back to her._ _"I mustn't be silly."  
She tsked, and lamented her wishful thinking, but still smiled at the prospect of love she had felt._

_"...Dream prince..." she blushed and laughed softly to herself, hugging the covers close._

_"No, things like that only happen in Fairy Tales. It must be Henry's stories getting in my head."_

_Sighing wistfully, she rose from her bed to greet the morning and ready herself for class. They were taking a trip to the hospital today to put up decorations and she couldn't be late._

* * *

She checked the clock on her bedside table, _6:15_, she still had plenty of time until she had to leave. She grabbed clean underwear from her dresser, and a yellow floral summer dress and spring green cardigan from her closet, before heading into the bathroom to take a quick shower, change, and fix her hair.

As she slipped out of her flannel pajamas, she gave a slight shiver to the coolness of the rooms temperature. The hot steam of the shower would soon fix that.  
She padded over to the tub and pulled apart the shower curtain, turning the shower water on, and testing it before stepping in.  
The hot water felt good on her sore muscles as it cascaded down her shoulders and back.  
She stood still a moment, running her fingers through her wet ebony hair, and enjoying the feeling of it; before grabbing the bottle of her favourite floral shampoo and squeezing a dab of the green gel into the palm of her hand.  
Smiling blissfully she washed her hair, filling the tiny room with a rich flowery scent, and as she worked up a lather she began to hum; a slow soft melody. She wasn't sure where she'd heard it before, but it suited her mood, and sounded pretty with the acoustics in the small bathroom.  
Once her hair was washed and conditioned, she moistened her loofah and applied a generous amount of rose scented bodywash, and starting at her shoulders began to wash her body; her ivory skin had turned a light pink shade from the heat of the water, and the cool creamy foam of the body wash as she lathered felt delightfully refreshing.

As she watched the foam drip down and caress along her curves, and wiggled her toes in the warm foamy water collecting at the bottom of the tub, she remembered the feeling of her dream prince's hands on her body, and trembled.  
She blushed, running her hands along her skin in an attempt to wipe away the feeling of his hands, suddenly feeling a bit dirty despite just washing clean.  
Ashamed at her sudden foolishness, as well as feeling warm, awake, and refreshed; she finally turned off the water and climbed out of the shower into a warm towel. She felt better covering her naked skin, and the warm soft towel comforted her even more, making her less embarrassed...  
even if it was only a dream, the thought of a man's hands touching her like that made her flustered.  
After changing into her clothes quickly, she fixed her hair. One of the good things about having short hair was how simple it was to style it every morning. All she had to do was apply a bit of mousse, blow dry, and comb it, so that took little to no time at all.  
She went back into her bedroom to fetch a pair of earings from her jewellery box, before heading to the kitchen, where she poured herself a small bowl of cereal, and her mind wandered towards her class trip to the hospital.

"Oh no!", she jumped slightly, dropping the box of cereal onto the floor. "The hospital._ Dr. Whale..._", she groaned, and grimaced at the memory of their _date_ just last night.

How could she forget he'd be there today? She knelt down to grab the cereal box, look helplessly around at all the flakes that had flown from the crinkley plastic bag inside, and strewn across the floor. Placing the box back on the counter, she looked at her cereal no longer hungry. Her mood had instantly fallen as she knelt back down to pick up all the spilled flakes, and reflect on the events of last night...

* * *

All of her dates ended the same way, and that date had been no different.  
She had spent 45 minutes at home, going through her wardrobe to find an outfit, and had finally settled on her pink floral sundress and one of her favourite pink cardigans. It brought out the blush in her cheeks and suited her ivory skin. She was sure it would be perfect.

She had smiled to herself as she walked to the hospital to meet him, full of dreams and romantic ideas on how their date would turn out, only to sit and wait an extended half an hour.  
But, she had forgiven him for being late, as he was a doctor and a very busy man. Besides, at least he had shown up.  
He was even very smartly dressed in a black suit with a dark midnight blue shirt that brought out the blue in his blue-grey eyes.

She'd smiled at him kindly, and waited for an apology which never came. He'd told her she looked pretty, and had asked where they were going on their date.

"I thought we agreed upon Granny's Diner yesterday?", she'd asked confused.

"Oh, right. Perfect.", he'd smiled and taken her hand as he began heading up the street.

"So, what should I call you on our date: or -"

"Dr. Whale is fine.", he'd interjected.

"Ah, I-I see...", she'd said meekly.

He was quiet for a moment, and that made her nervous. Did she say something wrong?

"So, what do you do for fun, Mary Margaret? Tell me about yourself."

Relieved that he didn't seem angry or upset in anyway, she'd told him briefly about what books she liked to read, how she enjoyed going for small strolls around the forest paths, and her 4th grade class at Storybrooke Elementary. By the time she'd gotten to discussing her class they'd arrived at the diner. He'd opened the door and walked in first, and she'd entered in behind him. They'd found a place to sit and placed their orders, only waiting a couple minutes since it was fairly late and Granny's had, had a slow crowd.

As soon as her drink had arrived, she'd picked it up and taken a sip. She hadn't been on a date in a while, and she was still pretty nervous. She wasn't sure if he was enjoying himself. Night walks and sipping cocoa didn't seem to be amusing to him.  
Finally after sitting in silence, he'd spoke up, much to her relief.

"Um, where were we? Something about you wanting 15 kids?" Mary Margaret had panicked a moment, suddenly feeling flustered.

"Oh, Good Lord no! I meant in my class, where I teach. You'll meet them tomorrow they're going to the hospital as part of the volunteer outreach program."

Her eyes had fallen to the table nervously, and she didn't catch when his attention strayed towards the waitress Ruby, who was busy cleaning tables. She'd swallowed the growing lump in her throat. Unsure of what to say to explain herself further. She'd had such high hopes for tonight, and yet as she sat here with him she felt as if everything was going wrong. Surely she was boring him with her constant prattling, and she certainly hadn't dressed nice enough since he said she'd only looked _pretty_.  
She had wanted to be beautiful, and interesting, and so much more than she felt like then.

"Oh yeah, that is a, uh, _great_ program.", Dr. Whale's eyes had turned away from her again, only glancing back when she started talking, and then straying once more.

"I mean obviously I don't want 15 kids of my own, I mean, not that I don't want kids, I do. I want kids, marriage, true love... I want it all. But, that of course is-"

She'd looked up to see him looking elsewhere. And following his gaze she'd looked over her shoulder at Ruby who was wearing her trademark short-shorts, half-apron, and tied up top; exposing much more skin than was nessisary. The bright red stiletto heels on her feet only emphasizing her figure more. She had turned back to him with embarrassment and sudden understanding in her features.

"...wildly inappropriate for me to discuss on a first date."

He'd finally looked back at her, his inattention blatantly obvious.

"Hm?"

She'd sighed, feeling dejected and annoyed. He clearly wasn't interested in her at all, and why should be be? Ruby was beautiful, and daring, and sexy, and everything she wasn't.

She'd called out to Ruby, suddenly, feeling slightly angered at his ill behaviour.

"_Yes_, Mary Margaret?", the waitress had called back testily. She must have been having a stressful night, for it wasn't like her to be so snarky.

"...Check please."

He looked almost alarmed, but seemed uncaring at her disappointment, "Oh, you're leaving already?"

She'd tried to smile politely, "Yes, I have class in the morning, and it is rather late. And, um, you probably have other things to do- at the hospital."

He gave a slight chuckle, "Look, Mary Margaret if this is about me looking at-"

"Its not."

She'd sighed extremely frustrated, "its just late, and I have to go."

He'd given her remark a moment of thought, and then his voice had changed slightly, to a voice that reflected embarrassment.

"Alright, well, I forgot my wallet so... if you wouldn't mind...?"

She'd fiddled with her cup and closed her eyes a moment to ease an impending headache, and she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.

"Sure. No problem."

Grinning he'd replied curtly, "Great. Thanks for tonight, I had fun."

"Yeah.", her tone was blatantly flat, and he'd not seemed to take much note of it as he rose from the table, and headed towards the entrance. As she had watched him leave, she caught sight of a brown leather wallet poking up from his back suit pocket. She'd been fooled. But, it wasn't the first time.  
She'd paid the bill for the drinks, and walked home alone... the same as every other date.

* * *

All she had ever wished for was for True Love, for her Prince Charming to come find her on his white horse and sweep her off her feet. It _was_ a lot to ask, and she was to the point where she'd settle for a Frog Prince, or even someone who wasn't a Prince at all. But, what she refused to give up on was love. It didn't matter who the person was, as long as she loved him and he loved her in return. Needless to say, Dr. Whale was not her True Love.

She threw the wasted cereal into the garbage, and washed her hands, taking a cursory glance at the light blue wall clock. 7:18.

"Oh shoot! I'm going to be late." She'd spent too much time cleaning up the cereal, it was her fault for day dreaming. She hurried towards the door, and grabbed her bag, and her keys from the little dish.

(to be continued...)


End file.
